Richard Foley (richinud)

Empezamos del coche y giré derecha en la valla. Yo quité me ropas y Polly quedo su pelo. A el cruz de caminos empezamos a subir la empinada cuesta. Eran piedras muy grande sobre nuestra capezas y algo covas protectaba por cespe afilada. Mi asthma me dio mucho dolor por la cuesta era muy empinada. Mi respiración convertio en mucho ruido. Pensé que la ruta no acabará, y eso muy temprano en el dia. Lentamiente hacemos más altitude y las cuestas al otro lado de la valla llegan a nuestra nivel.

Finalmente llegamos a la cresta, y podemos ver alredador a la vista. El mar mediterraneaneo mucho bajo con luz, gris y azul. En todo otro lado, crestas de piedras y cespe afilado quiten cayeron al mar. Quedamos más altura para hacer todavia, pero el piezo más duro era nos detras. El resto del camino continua más facíl y como un serpiente verde sobre la cresta. Nos descendimos a un paso y pruebaba evitar la hierba afilada que crean a esta altura. Quedamos para comer y ver la vista precioso. Polly y yo también nos tuvimos mucho sed y bebimos de nuestra botellas de aqua fresca. Tuvimos buena suerte porque el cielo tuve mucho nuves y el nivel nos protectido contra el sol de verano.

Pasabamos adelante la cresta hasta el cruz de caminos que va por el font en la valla a bajar. El camino convertió más pequeno y finalmente lo pedi. Despues luché contra la hierba afilada con Polly. Un hierba afilada cogé el harness de Polly y otro cortó mi piernas. Un poco sangria corrio los piernas a los sandales. Era un poco peligroso, y llevé las pantalones cortes por un tiempo corto. Finalmente llegamos al font en la valla. Un font de la montaña hizo de piedras con aqua fresca como cristallo. Vimos a las crestas alredador y era muy facíl imaginar que vienen dragonas, a volar entres las acantilados

El aqua fresca nos refresco y hizo más energia para ritornar. Immediamente Polly busco un palo para jugar y yo dijé immediamente “No!” Empezabamos a bajar la valla, en el otro dirección de por la mañana, siguente el rio pequeño que va entre las piedras y crestas seco. La crestas creadan a su proprio altura y nos caminabamos bajar por el coche. Al final, Polly encuentré un charco fangoso por el ultimo refresco. Después por mi volvimos a casa por un tasa de tee refresco!

Tenido un poco ayuda de Google por el tradución y lo se no es perfecto. Si no practicar, no apprendará.. 😉

Si quieres leer, aqui el articulo original en Inglés.

We set out from the car and had to follow the motorway for a short way on a side trail, before we were able to turn off and head up the dry valley. I stripped off and Polly kept her fur coat on. Locating the path junction we started the steep climb out of the valley up onto the ridge above. Huge rocks loomed as we passed a couple of natural caves, guarded by spiky grass. My asthma was giving me trouble as the steepness of the route was making me breathe harder, and I had the thought that the ascent would never end, and this so early in the day. We continued gaining height steadily, at first the high ridges opposite looked far above us but, panting heavily, we slowly began to match them.

Finally we crested the ridge, with some relief and were able to look around and take in the view. The mediterranean now far below glistening grey and blue. On every other side, both grassy and sharp crestellated ridges tumbled toward the sea. We still had more height to gain, but the grunt was over, and the rest of the walk was undulating over the ridge. We descended to a col trying to avoid too many scratches from the spiky grass and sharp bushes which grew across the high and dry landscape. Stopping for a brief brunch and to admire the silent surroundings, we thankfully slaked our thirst from the water bottles. I’d long since given up on finding puddles for Polly to drink from and carried a lightweight and cleverly collapsible rubber water bowl for her. She came over as soon as she saw me pull it from the rucksack, and I had to struggle to get the water bottle open while she tried to lick the dry container impatiently. We were both feeling the heat and the exertion, even though we were lucky with the weather, as there was a layer of overcast clouds keeping the worst of the summer sun off our backs and heads.

We continued along the ridge until we located the path which led down to the spring at the head of the valley below us. The track now became quite faint and we lost it to struggle through the sharp bushes. I had to free Polly from some triffid-like brambles which her harness became tangled in and my lower legs were being cut and scratched at the same time. For this last stretch to the spring I put my shorts back on, as the battle with the sharp undergrowth was becoming a little dangerous… Reaching the spring was a huge relief as we were able to sit down on the stone bench surrounding it and slake our thirsts. The crystal clear mountain spring poured from the stone as a life-preserving oasis amidst the curtain of dry heights surrounding us. Looking up at the serrated ridges above, one could easily imagine a dragon flying out between them, flapping it’s ancient wings, perched perhaps on an outcrop to survey it’s rocky mythereal domain below.

The clear cool water refreshed us and renewed our energies. Polly immediately found a stick for me to throw and looked up hopefully at me. I told her she must be joking and we set off down the valley, following the narrow but easy trail and the remnants of bits of stream, with the ridge of the morning’s hike looking down at us from high above. We snaked our way down, steadily losing height, the ridges surrounding us gaining height as we descended. Finally we reached the bottom of the valley, and a welcome muddy pool for Polly to lie in before the last hot and exhausting stretch up and down the gravel track back to the car. Then home for a refreshing cup of tea!

So Polly and I decided to venture up a local hill, which had been bothering me for some time. The first time I’d hiked over the summit, I’d had to go up to a col, directly across and around the back, losing a lot of height, and then steeply up the far side of the hill, to reach the summit. This time I’d resolved to try a bit of route-finding and from the col, head directly up the unmarked ridge instead.

We set off in warm conditions, me rapidly stripping off my clothing as the sweat began to seep through my shirt and shorts. Polly panting up behind me, we made our way past an almost dried up spring, through abandoned olive groves, and reached the col. From here was unknown territory as we wended our way up through some fairly sharp undergrowth heading for up the spine of the ridge. After some time, and not a little scratched shins and calves, we reached the upper part of the ridge. A promising gully seemed too steep at the top, but we entered it any how, me pulling and man-handling the hapless Polly by her body harness, whenever it got a a bit too steep for her.

The head of the gully proved to be too steep and exposed for us to contemplate the last 10-20 metres, so we backtracked down again. This proving more difficult than the ascent, as is usual whenever a little scrambling is involved. Next, having regained a stable piece of ridge, we aimed off to the right and around to the side of the steep cliff above. Now the rocks and brush encouragingly offered odd glimpses of what might have been mistaken for signs of a track. We struck up through the trees and the scree into the dark recess of the top of the second gully.

Above us, a patch of bright blue shone through the shade, suggesting a route to the ridge above. We headed for it and, sure enough, stepped out onto the ridge, the views falling dramatically away in front of us, uninterrupted to the Mediterranean blue far below. Striding easily now through the still sharp bushes, we made our way along the ridge, huge views on all sides. The new route was the perfect alternative to the original, official, path.

We reached the summit and stopped for several photos and a bite to eat. Even though this was a sunny Saturday in May there was not a person in sight. A deep draught of cool water from our bottles was particularly welcome for the both of us, panting in the heat and maybe a little exhaustion. Hiking in Spain is not to be undertaken without sufficient water reserves! Checking the map again we next headed down the ridge sloping away to the south, following the small but easy path alongside it’s crest. We passed a couple of surprised but friendly couples on the trail, with whom we exchanged the customary mountain courtesies of wishing them a fine day.

The descent from the ridge was fairly steep and gravelly and wove past the entrance to several mine entrances. It was a place where it’s very easy to slip unintentionally, and painfully. Without mishap we made it down the slope and entered the realm of olive trees once more. A short diversion up to a local castellet, and then back to the car, where I got dressed again for the drive home. Probably unneccessary at this point, but a little shade from the fierce Spanish sun was actually quite welcome.

I think Polly quite enjoyed the hike too.